Despised

[saerwen]

Walking along the beach was calming. The sound of wavers lapping gently at the shore brought peace to everyone who heard it. When Jaedon had come here, she had feared that there would be no where for her to escape to, no where for her to get away. One day she would go back to the real life, of that she was sure. But for now, this place would do fine. She felt as though she could live on this beach.

Even though she was a bicorne, a creature of the woods by nature, she was also a panther, and one who loved the water. She would enter it freely and lovingly. Even now the water that rushed over her toes as the tide pulled in and out seemed to call to her to come out and swim in those sweet blue depths.

The wind was being playful that day, pulling the waves too and fro, making them ripple and crash. It blew the sand against her ankles, but it didn't sting. Jaedon had left her shoes behind a few yards. She had been intending to walk along the shore as far as it led, but as the wind caressed her face and blew her hair to and fro, she just stood there, facing the water, green eyes focusing on the shimmer that the sunlight left upon the water that danced around.

Her long, tiered skirt, black with neon green swirls, was soaked through around the bottom with the salty water. She dug her toes into the sand and closed her eyes for a moment. The sunlight was warm, but the wind was cold, and Jaedon, desiring to be comfortably both, had shed her coat, leaving just her thick strapped black undershirt. It felt so good to have the sun on her skin, for once in a long time. She missed the beach so much, and was very glad that she finally had access to it whenever she wanted. She opened her eyes and continued to survey the ocean completely wrapped up in her own thoughts.

[»Míríel«]

The sun's rays were so warm and pleasant at the beach, and why was it that the beach always had the best feeling about it? Perhaps the wide expanse of water made you feel free, or perhaps it was the constant, soothing sound of the waves that serenely lifted your spirits, or the wind as it toyed with your hair, trying its best to tangle it. Whatever it was, this beauty was a new thing for the dark figure that was sitting on a rock not far away from Jaedon, but enough to be out of her view. The rock was hidden in the shadows behind Jaedon a couple of feet off, somewhere she would never look unless he drew her attention. His green eyes peered at the horizon, squinted by the bright light. Everything now had beauty to it, since he had come back from his darker sides grasp. It was almost like seeing the whole world through new eyes.

That well built figure turned his head to look at the girl. She looked so peaceful. Perhaps Jaedon had forgiven him for his last remark, but then again you could never tell with girls, especially girls like her. This time he had tried his best to make her feel a bit better, though secrecy of who it was from was vital, at least for now. A little farther from the girl there was a not with the words To Jaedon written on then. A white rose held the paper down from the wind's nosy grasp. Somehow Neron had known that Jaedon would come here, he had felt it from the depth of his soul. So running ahead he planted the note and hope that she would walk by it and see it. Now he hoped that it would all work out.

Leaning back against the rock his eyes closed halfway as he remembered what he had written. It went something like this:

In the storm
Stands the white rose
tumultuous waves
of destruction abound her

Yet tall is the white rose
strong in the face
Of the sensed doom around her
And she does not bow down

Pure is the white rose
In the compost earth
growing eternal strength
in the nights that so hurt

I see not the white rose
She is so far away
But I long to protect her
But only the words can I say

So I send her my words
And my poets heart
To help her when
there is hope to see her through

Be Strong little flower
Your heart will guide true
And as long as you want
I will be here for you

These times are hard, but you will pull through, you must. Every rose has its thorns and every rose had its imperfections, stay strong my friend.

Neron sighed and watched the dark figure that was away from him. Those words seemed so fitting. For he seemed so out of reach of Jaedon, she seemed to be slipping from his grasp into a place that he knew wasn't pleasant. He longed to help her, pull her through it all, but he also knew that she wasn't one to ask for help.

[saerwen]

Jaedon was consumed with her thoughts. She remembered what was burning her most so clearly, like it had happened only moments ago. It was still confusing and hurting her. She felt like everything inside her was falling apart. The lake...Miriel...Cecily...The garden...Neron. Pictures of each flashed before her face, but more than anything, the bottle that had held her fate, both bottles. One had held the preface for her future, and the other could have been her the end of that future. One she had used, but the other she had been prevented from having. It was like someone was stopping her from repeating her mistakes of years past. She was with friends, she had her life, and she was confused. She had never had any of these things before. Her confusion was fueling her anger though.

As she sat on that beach, she looked calm and peaceful, but on the inside there was a maelstrom of emotions, hatred, and guilt that tore at her, eating her slowly from the inside out. She sighed and turned from the water that had been so comforting only a moment ago. Her comforts were momentary, and her relief never lasted longer than a few moments. What she was having so much trouble with was why Neron had stopped her. She was continuously fighting within herself for control of what was true. She had the devil and the angel whispering two different opinions, and she fought to listen to the devil while the angel of her heart tore at her defenses with every last fiber of its weak existence. It filled her with constant discomfort. Not only that, but the memories of the night that she had murdered Miriel's father came back replay after reply in dreams, every night. She was no longer able to sleep without having this dream. She tried with all of her might to push these memories from her mind, but she just didn't have the strength any more. She felt like she had been drained.

Sighing, she turned and went to find a place on the beach to sit down. She was too tired to go for a walk now. She sat down and looked at the waves. She wanted to adjust to a more comfortable position and so put her hands behind her. She set her hand down on something and heard it crinkle beneath her. Lifting her hand quickly so as not to crush it, she turned to find a letter. It was addressed to her. She looked up, peering around for the deliverer, but found no trace. She was confused, but decided to open it any way. What she found there was much more different than she had thought she would find. It was a poem.

It was...She stared at it hard, hardly able to understand the meaning of the words. What was this? She stared for a moment longer before shaking her head slightly and screwing up her face. She was really confused. Who would have sent her such a poem as this? This was the poem of a friend, one who knew her well, and who cared for her. What on earth was this?! Shaking her head, she got up in a hurry and started to walk along the beach, in as fast a pace as she could manage. Her foot still hurt. She carried the piece of paper with her, still unsure of what to think. Her face was all messed up with confusion.

[»Míríel«]

The leaning figure of Neron suddenly came alive as he saw Jaedon pick up the letter and open it. Good. A soft smile came to his lips. That letter was going to send her for a loop, which was exactly what he wanted. Jaedon wouldn't be one that didn't know what was going on. A letter, he had decided, would be a perfect way to throw a wrench in the gears, after all you can't read the mind of a letter. Now he just hoped she wouldn't track it to him, not yet.

There had been enough time for him to reflect on what was going on right now, but it was time to move. His dark figure became visible as his feet carried him out of the shadows, but Jaedon had just begun to read the letter. He covered ground fast and it wasn't until Jaedon was a pretty good distance that he paused and turned. She was a small speck to him, but he could tell that she was finished reading. "I wish I could see her face right now" He sighed slightly. Though he didn't miss out to much for his imagination created quite an amusing picture.

As he observed her form he realized that she was coming closer to him. It was time to act. Wiping the shadow of a smile from his face it resumed its usual stoic nature. Tucking his hands into his black jeans he walked slowly toward Jaedon, his head bowed slightly, creating a shadow across his eyes. His body language screamed bad mood, and he hoped that Jaedon would let this fact knock out any suspicion that might rise to him being the author of the note.

Besides his stormy appearance, he was jumping on the inside, he wondered what she thought about it, did she like it, or did she hate it? Did she understand what he was trying to say. More than ever her wanted to go to her and tell her bluntly, "I wrote the letter Jaedon, I did it because...because..." HE didn't know the answer, but even if he did he knew he couldn't tell her, not yet. A sigh came from his lips as his brow furrowed. Why did he care about Jaedon, why did he care what she thought about his note? Why was there a strange feeling about him when she was around. "Probably because you feel like she's going to try one of her tricks on you, or perhaps it's because you have revealed more to her than you have to anyone else before." He grunted slightly, yes that was probably it. The uncomfortable feeling was merely from telling so much of his background... By now Neron had covered a lot of ground and between Jaedon approaching him and him walking fast, he was approaching her faster then he thought.

[saerwen]

Staring at the ground, Jaedon paced on slowly. She was still limping, and walking in the mushy sand was not helping anything at all, but she didn't really care, she was having fun. The only thing that was preventing her fun was that letter. That poem. Who had written that? There were only two friends that she had that were guys that would have known her well enough to write something so fitting, Neron and Damion. The second that she thought about it she figured out who it must have been. Neron would never have written something so...romantic... That word rolled off her thoughts and then back over them like it was trying to press them out flat. Yeah, she thought to herself, there is no way that word fits with Neron. She shook her head and smirked as she tried to picture Neron. It was working to her amusement for a while until she mixed her thoughts with a picture of him in the garden...He had been laughing. Then she thought of him in the music room playing his violin. For not being romantic, he sure caught me good. Some guys just have that appeal I suppose. The worst thing is that I am actually experiencing it.

Right as she had these thoughts running through her mind, she looked up at the sound of someone coming towards her. Behold, it was the said person, Neron coming that way. She stopped dead in her tracks as he worked on completing the distance on his own. Her eyes were wide in shock at meeting him here, and without knowing it her face colored a deep red. "Neron!" She practically gasped. Why was this so shocking to her? She had no idea, but she credited it to not having expected to see him there. She tried to compose herself but as she remembered her previous thoughts, they gave way to her flushing even worse. Knowing that she was going to be open to many remarks she suddenly became very timid. She couldn't really explain any of her actions other than that she knew that Neron knew what she had been planning to do to herself. Did he think ill of her for it? Who cared if he did? Apparently she did...But she didn't know why it was so important all of a sudden. She was staring at the surf that was washing over her feet now, knowing that if she made eye contact her colors would become more vibrant, if that was even possible.

[»Míríel«]

"Neron!"

Those words were said with such surprise that Neron jolted his head up. It was Jaedon. His green eyes blinked in a shocked manner, how had he covered so much ground so quickly? Obviously he had gotten wrapped to much in his thoughts, immersing himself in another realm. Pulling himself up to his full height before slouching back slightly an eyebrow was raised. "Yes?" He couldn't help but notice the touch of color that rose to her cheeks and then flush into a raging red of embarrassment. For a moment he wondered if she had figured out who the author was. What if she realized that it was him? But her reaction seemed to solidify that she hadn't, not yet.

Pushing this wondering behind a thick mental shield he forbade himself from thinking about the letter while Jaedon was around. Even though he would be able to sense her presence almost immediately, he couldn't be too careful. With a smirk he flicked the dark hair out of his eyes. "Could it be? Does the light deceive me or is there a blush upon the mighty Jaedon's cheek?" He narrowed his eyes as they started to gleam with amusement. "Aw shucks Jaedon, you don't need to blush even though my presence is quite stunning." His smirk grew wider. "I didn't know you found pasty skeletons so attractive." Though Neron refered to himself in this way, he had come a long way from what he had been not long before. He wasn't so much of a skeleton as before and even the dark circles under his eyes had faded.

Letting his gaze drift down to her hand he saw the note clasped in her hand. "Oh did you get a message? Who is it from? Could it be from a friend?" He smirked again, "Or better yet a lover? I hope it's not another plot for suicide." Reaching out he tried to swipe the piece of paper from her grasp.

[saerwen]

She felt really stupid after he answered a simple, yes. This made her start staring at her feet even harder. Then he started talking. She was glad that he was back to his original witty self, it made her feel less uptight. She had gotten angry at him in the garden for being nice to her, so now that he was back to teasing she felt free from that problem. If he continued to be nice to her, she was going to go insane.

"I am not blushing for your stunning appearance, be sure of that." she said with a dry sort of annoyance. She was annoyed more with herself than anything as she tried with all her might to push the roses from her cheeks. It proved impossible after some moments though and so she heaved a sigh and stopped trying. Then he went and said it...the "a" word. Her flushing came to as red as it could get. Why did he have to speak so carelessly. "I wouldn't begin to know what I find attractive Neron, but you are not it." That was the most bold face lie that she had ever told in her life and she knew it. "Although your portrayal isn't justified." She tried to gain ground by changing the focus from her to himself. The color in her cheeks was still raging war, but she was trying to lose it with valiance. She hated giving him something to poke fun at her with. "You are looking much better now." she paused as she considered what to say. "At least, better than last time I saw you."

Jaedon knew what was coming before he did it, said it, or even saw it. She had meant to put it somewhere out of sight, but the only place that presented itself that would have concealed it would have been rather...not convenient since Neron was right there. She didn't reply to him immediately. As he reached for it, she side stepped and wrapped an iron grip on the arm that was reaching for the letter. For once, she felt her old self come back to her. She had all the awareness that she had had every time she went out for work. It was a good feeling, having it back. She hadn't had much of a chance to use it, but since that night in the garden where she had fallen to pieces, she felt the wall that had been keeping her evil side caged come apart. She stared at Neron with hard green eyes that challenged him to try something else. "Yes," she spoke in a low voice with a wicked smile caressing her face, "I did get a message, but it is not for your eyes. Whatever it's contents are, they are mine to know." With that she twisted his arm slightly, just enough to make it hurt a bit, and then let go and finished her side step as she started to walk in the surf again.

[»Míríel«]

"Oh you don't eh? Well I could have sworn by the color of your cheeks that you were attracted to my skeleton figure. Oh well, now since the color deepens I guess you are only jealous." He smirked and looked at her for a moment while she continued to speak. When she mentioned him looking better he gave her a sort of painful smile. Those eyes of his lost their sarcastic gleam and turned more solemn and calm, he was remembering the pain he had to go through. "Yes...thank you. I had to go through a lot..." He sighed for a moment and turned from her.

That pain, his eyes drifted over the restless sea that was by his feet. HE barely pulled through it. His eyes glanced back at Jaedon before returning to the sea. Could she pull through? Would she be strong enough? Was it to late for her? He didn't and wouldn't admit to it, but he was worried for her. She had gotten so frail lately, not only from lack of blood, sleep, but other things too especially one major thing. But Neron couldn't figure out what that thing was. It bothered him for his heart seemed to be speaking the answer, but he mind couldn't decipher what it meant. Life, how complex.

Then he had tried to snatch the message, but she had caught a strong hold on his arm, which happened to be his hurt one. He didn't wince, nor did he cry out when she twisted it slightly. Though it usually would have been uncomfortable it burned with a fire. With a scoff he answered her. "So it's a love letter eh? " HIs eyes were hard and cold. She had awoken some anger within him, but it wasn't the wild raging before, but instead a cool, controlled anger. "Well, I hope you treat your lover better then you just did to me. Well, I'm guessing you're glad you didn't drink that bloody potion, or should I say poison of yours. You can give me your thanks later. "

[saerwen]

She scoffed at him, "Don't flatter yourself. I could be blushing because of something entirely different. Remember Neron, I am the one that looks into the mind, not you." Then Jaedon noticed that something she had said had caused him discomfort. What could that be? she wondered. Was it his memories of what he had gone through? Was it over?! She realized that was her answer. So he has finally won his own war... She was having trouble now. That was why he was being so kind all of a sudden! This explained most of it, but the one thing that it still left in question was how was he continuously doing that. Even after a change of heart, Neron must still have trouble swallowing hurtful remarks. She then decided to test him. She didn't know why this was what she decided but it was. Perhaps this was a way of making herself feel better because if Neron got mad, then she wouldn't feel like he was still being Mr. Happy and her Miss. Frowny.

She knew that what she had just done would peeve Neron off a little bit. She was happy that she had done it now. This was just the beginning of her scheme of playing around with him. The side of her that was ashamed of herself and what she had done died as she became Jaedon, the assassin once more. Her whole demeanor changed from one of brokenness to hateful, challenging, and painful. Every part of her seemed to darken from her features to her eyes which grew dangerously dark, close to black, but not quite there yet.

His anger was not as bright as it had been before and Jaedon now knew that she was certainly correct. "Why should I cherish my lover like some glass ornament that is not to be broken, huh?" she turned to him, those dark eyes betraying that she was all too close to falling over the edge, perhaps of sanity. "If he can't handle it, then he will break, and is not worth my time or effort. I am tired of searching for precious things that are too easily broken, I want something that will start holding me up for a change." Her words were sharp and to the point. There was no bitterness, only a cold heart that desired something no one had to give.

When he mentioned the poison Jaedon narrowed her eyes, but remained silent until she figured out how to answer. "I will not be thanking you any time soon. I would go and get another, if only I could find my source. Perhaps this time I would be more successful without your presence." In my heart and in my mind, should have been what followed that phrase but Jaedon would never admit it. Whoever had written that letter could just leave it alone, because Jaedon had unknowingly sold her heart to Neron, and she was not ever going to get it back.

[»Míríel«]

"Well, I suppose that you could be embarrassed about being caught with a love letter in your and. Yes, I suppose that could be an alternative...Though I liked the first one better." A smile slipped through his smirk. It shone light on his face making it brighten immediately. But it soon faded and Neron went back to being his sober self. He let out a sigh and turned toward the cove, a restless look came to his face. Hopefully his little plan would work.

As he gazed over that beautiful water his eyes half closed, he was slipping into his thoughts. The plan, yes, it was something he had come up with by himself. The whole point was to help Jaedon get through this is the best way possible. She had been missing something her whole life, something she had never experienced before. Love. Perhaps that's how he himself pulled through, he had memory of love from his parents, but Jaedon, she didn't seem to have any experience in this area. Perhaps if he let Jaedon begin to think that he loved her she would have something to live for. "Until she finds out that you don't love her." His heart gave an odd twinge at this declaration.

His eyes shifted until he looked at her without turning his head. He noticed her dark eyes, she was to busy getting angry to read his mind. He listened for a bit, his eyes slowly turning into slits. "Well I suppose that your lover is rather fragile, after all he can't seem to admit his love to you infront of your face." His slitted eyes relaxed back into humans as a smirk came to his eyes. "Just like you, to attract the weaklings."

"What a shame you don't acknowledge the fact that I helped you out. I'm offended, I truly am." His face gave no sign of being offended. "As for being successful without my presence... It's to late I'm afraid." He turned to face her with a smile breaking out on his face. Holding out his hands by his side in an apologetic gesture he continued, "My bad luck has already rubbed off on you I'm afraid."

[saerwen]

She scoffed at his remarks, but it was not because she thought him pathetic, but rather herself. She knew that it was true and made her burn up on the inside. "At least I can use them. They prove themselves highly useful when playing such a close game." She had turned away from him for a moment as she made a desperate effort to calm her anger, but then he finished his thought. Like glass shattering because it became too hot too fast, her anger tore the wall that had been keeping her quiet for so long.

She swung around and stared at Neron as her eyes began to go black faster than he had probably ever seen before. This is what had happened when she had killed her parents, and when she had met Damion. The skin around her eyes also started to turn black, and this was no illusion, it was real. Her face became pale, and the area around her eyes began to grow more and more black, like she had spread soot around her eyes. This was the demon that had killed so many.

When she spoke her voice was calm and collected, but sounded raspy. A wicked smirk grew on her face and added to her haunting features which seemed to suit her a little too well. All of her efforts to kill this side of her for good had crumbled when she had despaired about killing Miriels father. The self pity that she had wallowed in had caused the wall to start to break, and the other day in the garden when she had lost her hope of killing that side once and for all, that monster had only to find proper urge, and Neron had provided just that. "Perhaps it has rubbed off on half of me. The half of me that will die soon, thanks to you." The other side of Jaedon that was still valiantly fighting to pull herself back together took control for one second as an earsplitting scream of desperation ripped through Neron's mind, "NERON!" As soon as it had come, it died and was suffocated in the back of Jaedon's mind as thoughts of only the worst came to Jaedon. What was she going to do to punish Neron...How would she cause his end? And once she got Neron, what would stop her from getting the rest of them? She was happy to go for the rest.

[»Míríel«]

"Hmm true. I guess that is the good thing about having minions...though I never experienced such things. I usually just killed everyone." with a sigh he turned his whole attention to Jaedon, her eyes were switching black. It was almost like a storm was flying into her face. "Hmm...Perhaps I went a bit far." He raised an eyebrow and flicking his hair out of his eyes he stood in a lackadaisical way. "Well, I guess I will just have to ride the storm...hopefully I'll survive. Funny how when you want to die you somehow escape it, but now, when I am learning how to live, I am faced with death. Luckily this isn't a new thing." A cold feeling rushed over his heart for a moment as his gaze hardened. He would have to keep on his toes since he succeeded in awaking the demon. Was this how she looked when she had killed Miriel's Father and her parents? Neron would have shuddered at the though, if he hadn't been through what he had. "She wants to kill you." He shook his head. Figures. He didn't blame her actually. He had wanted to kill himself many times before. But he brought himself under control and he braced himself for the storm. If he drew out her demon more, perhaps it would help her, but then again it might not. He had to try, no matter how bad the situation seemed, no matter how evil she looked, he would try to draw this thing out of her like drawing out poison. Why would he do such a thing, because he loved her and didn't know it. Right now he thought he was just playing along with his scheme, little did he know that he was truly acting from his heart.

Just when everything was under control a shriek erupted in his mind, it was earsplitting, and tormenting in volume. Wincing he held his head with his hands. She was calling for him, warning him. But he was going to stay, he had to. This is distracted him though, this scream. He had to collect himself, he had to . So in order to give him some time he started speaking. Probably not a wise decision. "To bad I'm not one of your minions." He looked her square in the eyes, or where he believed her eyes were. "Though." He smirked. "I welcome you to try and make me one, you witch." Here the storm came.

[saerwen]

Much to Jaedon's own surprise, she had yet to change forms. Something was wrong with her...Why hadn't she changed forms yet? This was fixing to make her rethink fighting Neron to the death, because he might have some advantage over her. Then she remembered what it was. She had trained herself to stay in her human form when she had gone out to kill, and she was reverting back now. As an assassin she had hated to get into outright fights unless it was in a bar, over a card table, or unless they were slightly bigger than she was. Just enough to make them slower than her. She had seen Neron fight and knew that neither of these things would come greatly into account. She was going to have to do this from her own will power, but then again that wasn't hard. Her will power is what had been keeping her alive this whole time.

"I've already tried that one on you. You didn't take." She smirked as she thought about it. She was a witch, but she hated the name. "Now I am just going to make you wish that you had taken my offer." She was distracting him, just as he had been trying to distract her. Words were good at being distractions. She knew that the other side of her had called out to him, and that it was going to throw him off slightly. She had already prepared something to do to Neron whenever that chance first presented itself. As she finished speaking, she held out her hand as her sword came came to the summons of her hand, aided by black magic. If Neron stayed where he was it would go straight through his back. She knew that he was too smart to let her get that easy of a hit. The sword was a distraction. She set up a black magic trap on either side of him. When it was sprung, Neron would be wounded, either from the black magics simple lust for power, or from him struggling against it.

Jaedon used the stronger kind of magic, but the price for this was that there were less ways to use it. You had to be careful, had to know what you were doing for it to really take any affect at all. Neron probably knew this by now, but he didn't know what spell she knew how to use. She researched them all the time, and learned them with care. With the spells that she had set, it would inflict damage either way. If Neron fought the spells with his own magic, it would back fire on him, and if he just let it go, then it would do less harm, but she would get to choose what it hit and she had suddenly remembered that one of his arms had been previously hurt.

During this however, Jaedon had forgotten to set up a defense for herself, one of the first lessons she had learned from Damion in their fight. She was making the same mistakes she had done in her last fight with a dragon, so the only logical conclusion is that it would have the same outcome. She would not be dissatisfied with this. Even if Jaedon lost, she still had one thing that Neron would have a lot of trouble defending himself from if he wasn't careful. Aside from forgetting to set up a defense, she put her sword away and had forgotten to make plans for what would happen when Neron got up. She was making this up as she went.

[»Míríel«]

Neron clenched his fists. He had to fight against his will to shift. He was going to do this all in human form, or at least try. He had to prove to himself that he could. Plus he sensed magic, and magic was one thing that you really didn't want to be a big target for. "Oh you tried that one did you? Probably because your little magic tricks are a bit weak." He smirked as he suddenly sensed the presence of magic. It surrounded him, and something was coming from behind.

Falling to a crouch he was just in time as the sword clipped a hair or two from the top of his head. "I know I need a haircut, but really Jaedon?" She had sheathed the sword and with a leap forward towards her he went for her legs, hoping to bring her down.

Jaedon had left herself defenseless, something that Neron was very surprised to see her do. "she is to far gone to notice..it seems that she has reverted back to her old way and forgotten somethings she had learned. Jaedon in her right mind would be a lot more careful."

He himself had made a mistake though, as he had lunged for Jaedon he tripped slightly, causing himself to stumble slightly to the side, setting off one of the traps. He was regretting his decision to stay in human form. Even though he was much older than what he seemed, he hadn't mastered the art of standing on two long legs. After all, to him, four was much more practical, and it wasn't until the past month or so that he actually restrained to the human form for a school he used to be in. But instead of loosing his cool he waited to see what this little trap would bring forth.

[saerwen]

"I wasn't trying to improve your appearance Neron, unless bloody is an improvement." Jaedon's voice was still strange, but still unnervingly calm. When he lunged for her feet Jaedon felt the urge to change forms, but she fought it, knowing that it would be better if she didn't. She took a step back, but was not assured of her footing in the soft sand and so fell on one knee, simply because of her own mistake. She cursed herself slightly as she started to get up, knowing that if Neron was fast enough he could do some major damage while she was down.

It was soon after these thoughts that she saw it in her mind, Neron was caught in the trap. Her other traps died as she focused on that one. Neron was not fighting it, and that was wise. She was now going to have to choose what happened to him. His arm was already weak, that was the wises place to strike because she might not get another chance to strike again, but then she considered another side. It he was already hurt on his arm, then why not hurt him somewhere else and make the handicap worse? She grinned and decided to settle. On the shoulder of his hurt arm...yes that would do nicely. To Neron, he would have been free, able to move quickly and freely, but with no way to stop it, the likeness of the pain of a sword being rammed through his shoulder would have been equivalent. It didn't pierce all of the way, just enough to cause blood to flow, and rip a few muscles on the way.

By this time Jaedon was back to her feet, and quite ready to continue, starting very slowly to remember her fight with Damion. She would use that experience and fight with that knowledge in mind. She knew that there were many dangers to her fighting a dragon straight out, but if Neron ever changed into his true form, he would just be a larger target, and it would be harder for him to find her, especially if she changed forms. She set up a slight defense against anything that he might have sent her way. She knew that as she fought her anger died, and it was not lasting well against Neron... Part of her wanted to keep fighting, and part of her wanted to stop. The only problem was that the side that wanted to keep fighting was strong her than the opposite, so it was inevitable which would win out if Neron went any further.